Galveston fishing report

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Often, readers ask about tides, and the questions range from what tides are best for fishing to what are tidal movements.

Sunday, there was an excellent article on tides by Guest Columnist Joe Concienne of Galveston, and for a condensed version, he did an excellent job of explaining the basics of tides and how they operate. Anyone interested about this natural phenomenon should read his article.

In his closing paragraph, he states that wind and weather can significantly affect the tides in Galveston Bay.

I would like to expand on that and add what moon heights are the best for fishing.

Many times we have mentioned the effects of wind directions on tide levels. While the wind itself does not actually change the scheduled high and low tides, it can and does affect the water movement.

During periods of sustained southwest winds, we experience lower-than-normal tide heights and, conversely, an east wind creates higher-than-normal tides.

Recently, we experienced a perfect combination of strong easterly winds combined with new moon tides which, along with those of the full moon, are the strongest.

This recent event led to some minor flooding of low-lying areas with much higher-than-normal tide levels.

A strong north wind accompanying a cold front will empty the bays and thus prevent normal tide levels from occurring.

High pressure following strong frontal systems also impairs the incoming tides from reaching their normal levels.

Now, what about the moon heights? While the heights, meaning moon locations from the horizon to overhead, do not have a noticeable tidal effect on a day-to-day basis, seasoned coastal anglers know that moons on the horizon and directly overhead are best for fishing.

Anglers skilled at monitoring the moon heights calculate when the moon is directly below, meaning on the other side of the globe. That, too, is good for fishing.